ɛnte saa?

Isn't It So? Ɛnte Saa?

Level 3

Put ɛnte saa? after a statement to ask isn't it so?: Ɛyɛ dɛ, ɛnte saa? (It is nice, isn't it?).

How It Works

1. How the tag is built
Ɛ- is the subject prefix for it (see The Subject Prefix ɛ- for Things), n- is the negative (see Negative Prefix N-), te means be in a state, and saa means so. So ɛnte saa is literally it is not so.

2. Adding it to a statement
Say your statement, pause, and add ɛnte saa? with question intonation. In writing, a comma usually comes before it.

  • Ɛyɛ dɛ, ɛnte saa? (It is nice, isn't it?)
  • Wote Kumase, ɛnte saa? (You live in Kumasi, don't you?)
  • Wobɛba ɔkyena, ɛnte saa? (You will come tomorrow, won't you?)

3. One tag for everything
English changes its tag to match the sentence: isn't it, don't you, has he. Twi does not. The same ɛnte saa? follows a positive or a negative statement, any subject and any tense: Kofi mmaeɛ, ɛnte saa? (Kofi hasn't come, has he?).

4. Answering
To agree, say Aane, ɛte saa (Yes, it is so). To disagree, say Daabi, ɛnte saa (No, it is not so) and give the correct fact. See Yes and No: Aane and Daabi.

5. Ɛte saa? and Ɛnte saa!
Asked on its own, Ɛte saa? means Is that so? Really?, a reaction to news. Said firmly on its own, Ɛnte saa! means That's not so! or Not at all! Only after a statement does ɛnte saa? work as a tag. A plain yes-no question uses question intonation, often ending with anaa.

Examples (6)

  1. Ɛyɛ dɛ, ɛnte saa?

    It is nice, isn't it?

    Word by Word: it is sweet, it not be so

    The speaker expects you to agree that it is nice.

  2. Wote Kumase, ɛnte saa?

    You live in Kumasi, don't you?

    Te (live) is a state verb, so the plain form is present. The tag checks something the speaker already believes.

  3. Wobɛba ɔkyena, ɛnte saa?

    You will come tomorrow, won't you?

    The tag stays the same after the future bɛ-.

  4. Kofi mmaeɛ, ɛnte saa?

    Kofi hasn't come, has he?

    After a negative statement, English flips its tag, but Twi keeps ɛnte saa? unchanged.

  5. Wo na wofrɛɛ me, ɛnte saa?

    It was you who called me, wasn't it?

    The tag can follow a focus sentence with na.

  6. Aane, ɛte saa.

    Yes, that's right.

    Word by Word: yes, it is so

    The usual reply that agrees with a tag question.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the subject prefix ɛ-.

    Ɛyɛ dɛ, nte saa?
    Ɛyɛ dɛ, ɛnte saa?

    A Twi statement needs a subject. In the tag, ɛ- is the subject it, so the negative form is ɛnte, not nte.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ɛnte saa?Level 3Isn't It So? Ɛnte Saa?

Learn This First

The tag question negates Ɛte saa.

Words in This Pattern

saa